


Five times in which Karl and Albus share clothes (and one time that they don't)

by scorpiusalone



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:00:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23409469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scorpiusalone/pseuds/scorpiusalone
Summary: in which a dropped jumper begins a brand new relationship
Relationships: Karl Jenkins/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. No Givesies Backsies

Karl took the hoodie by accident, originally.

He was on his way back to the Hufflepuff common room to retrieve his books for classes. He was glancing out the window as the sun shone through, and maybe he wasn’t exactly looking where he was going, but he slammed right into Albus and Scorpius.

Scorpius pouted a bit as he dropped his books. “Oh, fiddlesticks. I’m so sorry!” Scorpius quickly apologised, sighing as he looked up and saw Albus still trudging on forward. “Oh I uh… Albus! Wait up!” He called out, just looking back to Karl. “Again, so terribly sorry.” And with that, he was gone. 

Karl just simply raised his eyebrow at the interaction and tried to shrug it off, frowning when he looked down to the ground and noticed a now lone green hoodie sitting on the ground. He cautiously picked it up before he spun back around to realise who it belonged to.

Albus and Scorpius were still in the near vicinity at that point. Karl could see Scorpius leaning in close to Albus, speaking quietly to each other. They had been like that since after all of the time turner nonsense, and at this point everyone was just leaving them be.

But it did make Karl feel weird, seeing Albus so down.

He bit his lip and shrugged. Maybe Albus didn’t need the hoodie right now, and that was why he dropped it in the first place. But Karl could return it to him in good time. And so that’s what he did.

Or at least, tried to do. He very much tried.

The first time Karl went in search of Albus was in the great hall. He had placed it in his quidditch bag, and was very cautious as he moved towards the Slytherin table with a big grin on his face. It was only a split second from when he looked down to his bag to retrieve the jumper, but by the time he looked back up, both Scorpius and Albus had vanished.

So the next time he tried was in herbology. But of course, Karl had a tendency to get distracted incredibly easily. When he set his eyes on Albus, he missed the mass of potted mandrakes that were sitting on his route. He tripped, catching his feet on their roots, causing them to be pulled. The sound of screams filled his ears and lulled him off to sleep. When he woke up, he was laid in the hospital wing. 

In the jumper.

Yann just smiled their warm smile as they noticed Karl was awake. “Finally! We were worried sick. You really need to keep an eye on where you’re going, you know? You caused half of our year to pass out,” they stated. “But you were out a lot longer than the rest.”

Polly cleared her throat and chimed in. “Why were you up in the middle of class anyway? Surely you didn’t need the bathroom *that* badly.”

Karl let out a soft sigh. “I had something to give someone, but I don’t think it matters anymore. Have I missed the quidditch practice?”

“No. It’s not for another half an hour,” Polly stated. 

“But it’s not recommended that you go flying out of bed this soon after passing out for six hours,” Yann chimed in, crossing her arms. “You need to just take a second. Go back to the common room and chill. Quidditch will be there next week.”

“Fine. I have some studying I need to do anyway. I’m going to go to the library.”

“Do you need help? You know we’re here… we can help with your notes, or we could read you the questions!” Yann suggested excitedly. 

“I’m sure Karl will be okay on his own. We have some of our own studying to do anyway,” Polly stated with a small grin, just dragging Yann out of the hospital wing.

“I don’t need help anyway you know! I can do this stuff on my own!” Karl yelled after them, huffing as he brought himself to his feet.

He thanked Madame Pomfrey before he headed straight out to the library. It took him a few laps before he found the books he needed. He pulled out his notebook and got settled at the table, trying to focus as he struggled with the text.

The focus didn’t last for long, as it was interrupted by a rather quiet voice. “I’ve been looking for that everywhere, you know. And I’d like it back.”

The Hufflepuff glanced back over his shoulder and his eyes landed on the one and only, Albus Potter. Although, he looked quite different to the bright eyed Albus at the start of the year. His skin was pale, and the space under his eyes was filled with darkness. HIs robes hung off him rather loosely, and his face held little expression.

Karl took a moment to stare. He knew it was rude, but frankly he wasn’t even sure what to say. He probably looked like a thief in Albus’ eyes.

“Jenkins, I want my jumper back. That’s all. So if you just… take it off, then I can have it back. No issues,” he said quietly, taking a step closer.

“It was uh, rather careless of you to drop it in the first place, you know? If this jumper is that important then you should be much more careful in keeping a hold of it.”

Albus was quiet in that moment. He just glanced down at his feet, unsure of what to say. He could lie, but lying had originally sent him down the deep dark path that ruined him originally. So he took a deep breath, and he began to blurt out the truth.

“I’m having a hard time at the moment. A very… very hard time. Adjusting back to this has been hard. But… I would really appreciate having my jumper back? I won’t ask for anything else. I just want the jumper.”

Karl glanced up and down, and then he let words slip that he was sure he was going to regret.  
“Next time you want the jumper, you can come find me instead. I’ll see you around Albus.”

And with that, he picked up his books and left the library, leaving Albus alone in the dark corner of the library.


	2. A Plan Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> albus hatches a plan to get back at karl.

Albus seemed upset when he returned to the dorm. Well, more upset than usual. 

The last few weeks had been hard for both of them. Adjusting back to normal life in Hogwarts was always going to be a challenge, but Scorpius didn’t realise it was going to affect Albus this greatly.

He struggled to leave the Slytherin dorms the majority of the time. When Scorpius was able to drag him out, it was always for food and classes. Any other time, he found that Albus was hidden under a blanket or hiding somewhere with the invisibility cloak.

Scorpius didn’t want Albus to feel lonely, but there was only so much he could do to help. He wasn’t sure how to communicate with his best friend anymore, and that was just slightly terrifying.

But of course, in this time, Scorp had learnt he wasn’t the best healer. In all of his failed attempts at trying to help Albus, this had come to his attention. It hurt just in the slightest, but he was sure he’d be able to find some other career. And besides, that was the least of his problems. When Albus stormed back in that night, Scorpius realised he was about to have a new puzzle to pull apart in his best friend’s head.

“He’s an asshole, did you know that? An absolute asshole. He stole my jumper! And now he won’t give it back? The audacity! You know, I thought they had all grown up since first year. I thought that after everything, we would stop being the ass of the joke. And now we’re just going around in circles again! It’s not fair!”

“Albus, you need to take a breath. Come on. Sit down, let’s talk this over and give some context to the situation that you just word vomited out to me. Frankly, I don’t quite understand what you just said. Slow it down.”

Albus let out a rather loud grunt and just sat down on his bed, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his chin on top of them. “Karl Jenkins. Sucks. That’s it. That’s all. I hate every stupid person in this stupid year.”

Scorpius frowned. “Well that’s not true. Because you’re still talking to me. And I’m sure whatever Karl did isn’t that bad… you said he stole your hoodie? Hufflepuff’s aren’t brave enough to come into the Slytherin dorms. Well I mean… except for the ones that are dating a Slytherin but that doesn’t mean they’re in here to rob us! Well, at least I think…”

“Well Karl robbed me. He stole my stuff and I am going to make him pay for it. It’s not fair! He thinks he can come into our dorm after all of the stupid teasing and take my stuff? Scorpius, I’m… I’m…”

He just placed a gentle hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “I know you’re upset. I know you’re hurting, but you can’t focus on this little thing. Look… maybe if you come to the quidditch match tomorrow, i know it’s a big ask! But it’s my very first game, Slytherin versus Hufflepuff! It might be good for you to go somewhere other than the Slytherin Dorm and the Great Hall?”

“I can’t see that working out, frankly. I don’t… you know I don’t feel comfortable going to the qui- did you say Slytherin versus Hufflepuff?”

“I did, yes. I’ve been telling you about this game for the past two weeks, remember? My big quidditch game, my dad is coming. I think even your dad is coming. It’s a big one. And apparently Slytherin always beat Hufflepuff so maybe I’ll have a chance at not embarrassing myself!”

Albus just smirked a little as he kind of stared off. “So… I might need a favour. You all share the same changing room, right? Both teams?”

Scorpius just laughed. “Well, no. That would be silly. We both have our own… wait where are you going with this?”

“I need you to take something. From Karl. I need you to take Karl’s quidditch jumper.”

Scorpius just crossed his arms, almost shrinking back slightly. “Frankly Albus, that doesn’t feel like the best idea or the greatest move for my very first quidditch match. I could be kicked from the team if someone found out.”

“Okay, but we have an invisibility cloak! And our wands! And you know we could even…” Albus frowned and stopped himself. “No. Scorp, I’m sorry. I said we wouldn’t make any crazy plans like that ever again. I don’t want to see you kicked off the team. Especially with… I know you’ve been telling your dad about this. And your mum.”

He sighed. “No. I know it’s just your anger talking. But maybe stealing isn’t the best idea? Maybe we can find another way to resolve this? I don’t know, this might be wild but have you considered… talking to Karl?”

Albus just rubbed eyes with his fists. “It’s not that easy. You know that. But I uh… I wanna make this even. If he won’t give me back my thing, then i’ll take something of his.’

“And you’re not going to give this up… are you?”

“Certainly not.”

“Then I guess I’m in. Whether this ruins my quidditch career or not… but I’m only going to cover for you. I’m not… I’m not stealing from a Hufflepuff.”

“And I wouldn’t expect you to. I think I know what I have to do.”


	3. Albus' Great Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> draco malfoy is a sassy little sh*t

After a decent night’s sleep, both Scorpius and Albus headed towards the quidditch pitch together. 

Albus couldn’t help but feel his stomach bubble over like a cauldron as they came closer. He felt like he was going to be sick.   
“It feels so familiar, right? It’s almost… weird. It’s like… I know there’s no danger? But my body can just… I still remember the exact spot where….”

Albus cleared his throat awkwardly. “Are you uh… excited for your first game? Your dad seemed excited from the owl he sent you. And I’m excited for dinner afterwards. You, me, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. There’s sure to be a non-eventful meal.”

Scorpius chuckled quietly. “They’re getting better. They can talk now without throwing things at each other. I would call that a win on behalf of both of us,” He said, stopping as they reached the entrance. “Do I look… do i look like a quidditch player? Not just some nerd that got on the team by pure luck?”

Albus took a step back and smiled. “You look like my best friend that I’m so incredibly proud of. Now uh… go get the bludger in the hole! Or… however it works,” 

“I will. Don’t get up to too much mischief.” He took a deep breath before he clutched to his broom and headed into the arena, glancing over his shoulder to watch Albus slowly grow smaller. Before Albus could even take a step away from the pitch, Scorpius was dashing back and was quick to tightly pull Albus into a hug. 

“I uh… thank you! For coming. And… I’ll see you at dinner,” He smiled before trotting back off.

Albus smiled and waved off to Scorpius before he felt his stomach flip. It was then that Albus was indeed, sick.

As he pulled out of the bushes from glancing at his breakfast, he saw Karl out of the corner of his eye and he felt his anger bubble up again. Stupid Karl Jenkins and his stupid warm smile.

He clenched his fists as he just headed back for the Slytherin dorms. Albus knew that if he timed this right, he was going to have some time to rest and read before he was to begin his great heist.

The plan was simple. When the game was just about to come to its close, Albus would sneak into the Hufflepuff change rooms and take Karl’s jumper. Karl, being the asshole he was, would probably just guess that he had lost it. But then, Albus would go to dinner in it. He couldn’t see a slight fault in any of his ideas.

So then the waiting began. It felt like forever, but eventually as he heard the cheers began to boom through the walls of the Slytherin common room, Albus made his way back to the pitch. He took the time again to keep his nausea down, but once he was in the Hufflepuff change room, all he could feel was his anxiety bouncing around his chest like that one DVD logo.

He took a second for another deep breath. And then another. And then one more. As Albus peaked around the corner, he realised the change room was completely desolate. The only sign that anyone had even been there was the absolute mess of yellow and brown clothing tossed all over the place.

Albus grinned as he spotted Karl’s jumper, moving quickly towards it. He picked it up and looked over it, pulling out the tag to double check. In messy, childlike handwriting, “KALR JEKNINS” was scrawled over the tag. He raised his eyebrow at that. How hard was it to spell your own name?

He shrugged it off. Maybe it was just something dumb, something done that Karl thought no one would ever see. Well, spoiler alert, Albus saw it. And frankly he couldn’t wait to tell everyone he knew about it… even if that was just Scorpius and Rose. 

Albus sighed and pulled the jumper on over his t-shirt, moving again as the cheers escalated once again. He wanted to wait before heading over to the picnic, honestly not so sure how he felt about dinner with both his dad and Draco.

Draco had honestly been a pretty good father figure in the past few weeks. Albus hadn’t been expecting that, if he was completely honest. From what Scorpius had said in previous years, he had known Draco to be cold and not too sure of himself. But the older Malfoy had warmed up after everything, and his advice was actually relatively helpful.

Scorpius panted as he sat down on the picnic rug with his father, kind of leaning into him tiredly. “I can’t believe how crazy that was. But we did it! We won!” Scorpius stated, smiling across to Harry. “But uh… I guess I didn’t do that well. Considering you were both seekers and probably a lot better than me…”

“Nonsense! It was a wonderful first game. A good effort from both sides,” Harry stated, smiling as he set out the cutlery and plates.

Draco just smirked. “It was. But you embarrassed yourself by missing that left turn and slamming into a pole,” He said, rubbing Scorpius’ back. “Nice bruise though. See, on my first game I actually missed the snitch, but you caught it. And that makes me incredibly proud.”

“You know who did catch the snitch though?”

“Can it, Potter. No need to stay stuck in the past. And speaking of stuck in the past.” Draco raised his arm to wave to Albus before raising his eyebrow as he noticed the yellow, oversized jumper hanging off his body..

Harry spun around as well and narrowed his eyes. “Changing your house again Albus? Is Ravenclaw next?” He joked. Albus let out a sigh and sat down next to his father. “No, just a change in wardrobe I suppose. I hear Slytherin won. Congrats, Scorp.”

Scorpius grinned. “We did! And you’re going to lose your mind over this… guess who caught the snitch?”

“Karl?” 

“Well uh, Karl is a chaser, so Karl did not catch the snitch but uh…”

“Scorpius did!” Harry blurted out. “Never thought I would be excited about a Malfoy and a snitch. But I know soon my son will be up on the team too, when he’s ready.” 

“Oh don’t you know, Potter? Albus doesn’t… oh sorry, I shouldn’t go blurting your secrets out to your father, should I?” Draco teased, winking to Albus. Albus chuckled slightly before just pulling Scorpius into a tight hug. 

“I’m so proud of you! I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to see it.”

“Well, that’s okay. You had your own important stuff to deal with.”

Draco smirked. “So you took a Hufflepuff on a date mid quidditch match? That’s a bold move, Albus.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “You did what?”

Albus’ eyes widened. “Oh! No it wasn’t… anything like that. It’s complicated.”

Scorpius just smirked a little. “So does Karl know yet?”

“Karl Jenkins? The Hufflepuff chaser?” Harry asked curiously before looking to Albus. “You’re courting Karl Jenkins?”

Albus' face just went bright red. “No. It’s a… there’s a prank war! Very big prank war. It became a tradition earlier this year, something you would both be too old to remember.. But this week is Hufflepuff and Slytherin competing, so I stole Karl’s jumper. You know… as a-”

“Albus Severus Potter! We need to talk!” 

The four looked up from their picnic to see none other than Karl himself storming over, Albus bit his lip and stood up slowly, smiling awkwardly. “Is there a problem, Jenkins?” 

Karl just sighed and grabbed Albus’ wrist. “Excuse us, won’t you?” He said before just harshly dragging him back to the pitch. 

Scorpius just let out a light chuckle and shook his head in amusement. “I knew this would happen. He still doesn’t think things through. 

“Oh well. He’ll be fine. Be gay and safe my non biological son!” Draco called out, waving as Karl continued to drag Albus off.

Karl just sighed and shook his head, just stopping as they got to the edge of the pitch. “Do you just not listen? I tried to be civil. I tried to return your stupid hoodie and every time I did, you ran away from me. So I decided to keep it for safekeeping! And then you snuck into the locker rooms, ones you do not and have never had access to and then you suddenly just… you…”

Albus had tuned out from Karl at that point. His voice just sounded like white noise as his heart just filled with fear. His surroundings were those that had haunted his nightmares. A place he hadn't been in so long due to the incredible anxiety that overcame him when he neared it.

Karl froze as he saw Albus’ whole demeanor begin to change. “Wait, are you… is this a joke? Are you trying to make me feel bad for you because… Albus?”

The panic attack had begun. Albus’ cheeks were quick to become tear stained as his breathing just became staggered and wheezy. “I… Craig… Scorpius… D-D... “ He let out a quiet whimper as he just fell to his knees and tried to centre himself, hunching over and trying as hard as he could not to be sick on Karl’s shoes. “I-I… my heart… can’t breathe…”

The Hufflepuff looked around before he felt a sense of guilt overcome him. “Oh my god. Shit! No no, hey… it’s alright? I uh… Scorpius? Crap, it’s just me. Okay, okay. You can do this.” He placed himself down in front of Albus and just bit his lip, trying to figure out what move to make next.

“You need to listen to my voice and my counting. We’re going to get you out of this, okay? Let’s… let’s breathe in for four, and then we’re going to hold for four and breathe out for four, okay?”

Albus whimpered and just shook his head. “I can’t do it. I can’t. I couldn’t save him. He was a spare. I’m a spare. I should’ve… I can’t…”

“No, Albus, you need to listen to me. Please. I can’t help you if you aren’t going to try,” Karl pleaded, just slowly moving his hands onto Albus’. “Come on. You need to breathe. Please.”

He struggled and just continued to whimper, but as he tuned into Karl’s voice, he began to feel better. He slowly slipped back into the breathing pattern, and he felt his heart rate slow down as he finally felt his anxiety begin to slip away.

Albus slowly sat up and took a few more deep breaths, looking at Karl scared. “I’m so… I’m so sorry. And i’ll… you can have the stupid jumper back. I’ll wash it for you and…”

Karl just shook his head. “You can keep it. Hufflepuff looks good on you, did you know? But uh…. I think I actually owe you. Would you… would you let me take you to Hogsmeade tomorrow? I think that might be a better place to chat about all of this. But only if you want to. If you have plans I completely understand…”

“That…. sounds nice.”

“Well, I’ll pick you up? Or I can wait for you. Let’s meet at the kitchen? I can grab some snacks for us to bring.”

Albus sniffled. “So you’re not as bad as you seem?”

“I’d like to think not. But… I am pretty terrible at quidditch without my lucky jumper. Maybe you’ll have to start coming to games?”

“O-Oh uh… I don’t… we’ll see.”


	4. Kinky on the Quidditch Pitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> breakfast and a show

For some reason Karl felt anxious.

It was often that anxiety slipped into his mind. There were a lot of things to be anxious about, actually. There was the idea of losing quidditch, the idea of people finding out about his… and of course, further messing things up with Albus.

He wasn’t planning on causing Albus to have a panic attack. Or to feel anxious at all. He hated the feeling, and he didn’t want to share it around. Especially not to Albus. He had so much respect for the Slytherin… and a lot of worry as well.

But he did. He made Albus Severus Potter cry. And he was never going to be able to forgive himself for that in his head.

Yet, here they were. A Slytherin and a Hufflepuff who barely spoke going on a date. But as friends. To make up for the stupid things they had done to each other. They had planned to make it more of an incognito thing, but unfortunately when you turn up to breakfast in someone else’s jumper, things become… complicated.

Scorpius sighed as he came out from the bathroom. “Albus, if you take any longer, we’re going to be late for breakfast. And I don’t really want to miss breakfast. I’ve got a big day of studying ahead, and quidditch practice, plus I have lunch with my dad! So if you could move your… Albus?”

Albus was still curled up with the blanket pulled over his head. Strands of dark brown hair were dishevelled and sticking out from under the covers. Scorpius let out a sigh as he moved towards the bed, gently pulling the blanket away from his face. “Hey, Albus? We gotta get something to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I wouldn’t want you missing out - you sticky fuck.”

“I don’t think I want to go, to be completely honest. I’d rather stay in bed until I absolutely have to leave. You can go on without me,” Albus mumbled, slowly reaching down for the blanket to pull it back up. But Scorpius being Scorpius, he was stopped.

“You can’t stay in here and mope all day, okay? I know yesterday was hard. But today is a new day. A fresh day. A good day! Hopefully. And we’re starting it by getting some breakfast. And then you can tell me exactly why you spent half of last night crying.”

Albus scoffed. “I did not!” He sat up slowly and just rubbed his eyes. They felt puffy, and he was sure if there was a mirror around, he’d find that they were still bright red. “I wasn’t crying. I was just… it was our third roommate you know? He moved in late last night.”

Scorpius sat down on the edge of the bed, crossing his arms. “Look, you can lie to the world, Albus Potter, but you certainly can’t lie to me. I know you. I know what makes you tick. And I think you and I both know whatever happened yesterday made you feel less than good but uh… I think we can talk through it. And make you feel a little better. It would be nice to see you smile.”

“Like this?” Albus just looked to Scorpius and faked the biggest, fakest, Potter smile he could.

Scorpius snorted. “Now you’re starting to look like your father,” Scorpius joked, being met immediately with a glare. “I uh… no! No not like… you know, I look like my father sometimes! And it’s not always a bad thing! Look, there’s worse things you could be compared to. LIke being the son of the dark lord!” He let out a nervous chuckle and rubbed his arm kind of awkwardly. 

“Scorpius, its okay. Just never say those words to me again. Or I’ll have to… steal your chocolate frogs!” Albus teased, launching onto Scorpius and pushing him off the bed and onto the floor. They both landed with a crash, and a groan from both of them.

“That was possibly one of the stupidest things you’ve ever done,” Scorpius said, laughing quietly as he untangled his limbs. “Now come on! We have to get to the Great Hall. We’re going to miss breakfast. And you can’t miss breakfast. You’re starting to get lean.” YOU STICKY FUCK  
“Fine. Just let me…” Albus was quick to grab the first thing he saw, which happened to be the stolen Hufflepuff jumper from yesterday. Now, maybe it was Scorpius’ fault that he saw and didn’t comment. Or maybe Albus should’ve actually checked and looked at what he was grabbing. But if either of the boys were organised, or thought things through, they definitely would not have had half of the chaotic adventures they had so far experienced.

As they arrived at the Great Hall and made their way to their usual spot, neither of them really seemed to notice how the volume dropped and all eyes turned straight to them. They were both used to it at that stage. People always looked when they were together.

“So my dad was rather disappointed in the fact that you’re off with the Hufflepuff chaser, and not the Slytherin seeker. He said that he was excited for our family christmas cards to come in the winter but uh… you just had to break his heart,” Scorpius teased. 

Albus just rolled his eyes. “I’m sure that made my dad incredibly happy? To hear Draco Malfoy talking about his son’s love interest? But… look, Karl isn’t…. I don’t like Karl. He’s not the…” Albus gulped as he noticed Yann and Polly looking over at them, kind of freezing up.

“Albus? Albus, are you alright?” Scorpius asked, waving a hand in front of his face. 

“Trouble just entered the great hall. I thought… I thought it was all first year stuff you know? And now… now it feels like we’re back where we started.”

Scorpius glanced up as well. Albus was right. Yann and Polly were making a big effort to keep their eyes on Albus. They were quick to sit down at their spot on the Hufflepuff table. 

Karl was very specific about where he planted his bottom for breakfast. He liked somewhere where he could enter and exit easily, and not feel as if he was becoming overloaded. The end of the table was the best place for that, but of course. Things were different, depending on the table though. He used to feel incredibly comfortable in the centre of the Slytherin table. He felt protected. Especially when Craig was by his side, with his usual commanding tone. 

They avoided the Slytherin table now. There was no reason to feel comfort there anymore.

Karl gave a shy smile to both Yann and Polly as they sat down. He put his head down as he continued to focus on his breakfast.

“Karl, why is Albus Potter wearing your quidditch jumper?” 

Karl looked up from his cereal and raised his eyebrow. “My what?” He asked with a mouthful of food. 

Polly just sighed. “Look, there’s currently only one member of the Hufflepuff quidditch team without their jumper. Everyone has theirs, except for you.”

“And we know how much you love to wear your jumper after your big game. It’s not like you to turn up in… why are you wearing your robes on a Saturday anyway?” Yann asked, raising their eyebrow. 

“Oh I uh… well I forgot to do my washing. And I didn’t want to worry about doing magic in a… wait what did you say about my jumper?” Karl asked, glancing over at the Slytherin table. “I didn’t think he was going to wear it.”

“Wasn’t going to wear it? So in what situation did you give Albus Potter your jumper anyway?” Polly asked.

“Well we were talking after quidditch…”

Yann laughed. “You didn’t go to Puff Post Quidditch Pizza? Since when have you ever ditched pizza night anyway? That’s rather anti Hufflepuff of you.”

“I just… got stuck in some stuff. Okay? I got distracted. And I had to talk to a student about…”

“Homework? Because you never ask for help on that. Which is fine. We know you like to figure stuff out on your own,” Yann said, nudging Karl.

Polly sighed. “Maybe I should just say what’s on both of our minds. Unless, you want to?”

Karl just frowned and looked between the two of them. “And what… what exactly is that? Did you two lose some sleep or something weird last night? You need to be more clear.”

“Did you and Albus get kinky on the quidditch pitch?” 

Karl spat his cereal out onto the table. “You… I…. excuse me?”

“Polly, that’s not the best way to be… subtle? Subtle is the word I'm looking for,” Yann stated, elbowing Polly in the side. “Look, Karl, all we’re asking is… we just don’t want you in with the wrong crowd? Albus is like a…”

“A force of evil. A predator. A lion about to feast on a pack of gazelles. A snake…”

Yann elbowed Polly again. “He’s a dark cloud. Look, there’s a reason that Albus Potter only has one friend. We all give him smiles still. He’s… he’s welcome at Hogwarts, of course. As is every student. But if you hang around him too long, he might end up hurting you. And the last thing we want is for you to get hurt.:  
“What on earth are you both talking about?” Karl asked bluntly, staring at them in shock. He glanced over his shoulder at the exit to the Great Hall. “Look, this has been…. It’s been… but I think I might…”

“Can you just tell us what happened? Please? We want the gossip! You can’t just go do something crazy like this and then not tell us! Come on Jenkins!” Polly said, pouting towards him.

“You know if you don’t want to tell us, that’s okay too,” Yann added.

Karl took a deep breath and tapped his toes. “Albus isn’t that bad. I think we’ve misjudged him. Like… like everyone misjudged me. Until we were all together. And now that we are, we have a great friendship. So all I’m saying is maybe we should just… show some kindness in small ways! Like, lending a jumper. Small things.”

Polly and Yann both took a moment to stare at Karl, before Polly let out a chirp. “Have you gotten soft for Potter?”

The Puff of the three just let out a sigh. “I’m not soft! I just… think we should be more kind. Anyway, I have to go. Albus and I are… it doesn’t matter. I’ll see you at dinner,” Karl huffed, pushing his bowl away before standing and storming out of the Great Hall.

Yann sighed. “Maybe a bit too harsh, Polly?”

“He’ll get over it. But we can’t lose each other now. Not to a Potter.”


	5. Stop With The Tunics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> draco interrogates the subject of albus' new relationship

“So do we say something?”

“Dad, if Albus realises we’ve been watching him this whole time, he may literally murder me.”

“But if we don’t say something, then aren’t you technically lying and breaking his trust? Malfoy’s don’t lie, Scorpius.”

“Well we should have left when we saw them walk in!”

“Don’t be silly. Besides, it’s your right as the partner to Albus Potter to know exactly what your boyfriend is doing. And I need something new to piss Harry Potter off with anyway. This will make for a wonderful owl.”

Scorpius sighed as he put down his menu. “Dad, all I’m saying is… look, they’re not even doing anything like… coupley? They’re not acting like you and Mum used to. It’s nothing that exciting. In fact, I’ve honestly never seen Albus look so… awkward?”

Draco smirked. “Well, everyone says a Slytherin needs a Hufflepuff. Or something stupid like that. I personally don’t believe in stereotypes.”

“That’s a lie. The only reason you don’t believe in stereotypes is because you know there’s good in everyone. And that’s the reason why you need to stop with the… how should I describe it? Tunics?”

“Tunics are fashionable, Scorpius. It’s business wear. And of course, as a man of business…”

“You spend your time writing letters to mess with Harry Potter, the head of Magical Law Enforcement. I don’t exactly see how that counts as business.”

Draco opened his mouth, then shut it again. “Scorpius! They’re hugging. And Jenkins is…. leaving?”

“You can’t keep changing the subject like this. All I’m saying is, it’s not going to kill you to change into something that doesn’t cover your entire body. You’re not the mark on your arm, Da- Dad, what are you doing?” 

Scorpius glanced over his shoulder and he softened a bit as he noticed Albus with a Hufflepuff scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. His mouth then formed an O shape when he saw his father making a beeline straight for the booth that Karl had shared with Albus no less than a minute ago.

He was quick to launch to his feet and follow his father’s war trail, panting as he slammed right into the back of the very person he was chasing.

Albus went to stand before jumping as he saw both Draco and Scorpius staring directly at him. “Oh um… hi?”

Draco grinned. “If it isn’t my favourite son in law. You know, we were just about to sit down and have some food ourselves! You should join us. Going back to Hogwarts at this time of day is just so busy, and there’s so much time before curfew anyway.”

Scorpius gulped. “Dad, Albus probably needs some quiet time. We do have a bit of studying, and I actually need to get back to quidditch practice…”

Albus grinned. “Oh, I forgot that was today. It’ll be a big celebration, considering how talented their new see-”  
“Oh, that’s rubbish. We have time. Sit,” Draco said, placing a firm hand on both Scorpius and Albus’ shoulders as they all sat down together. “It’s been a while. How about we catch each other up on everything that’s been happening? Leaves less for the summer. Scorpius?”

“Well, I-”

“Incredible, Albus. Let’s hear about your week.”

Scorpius just shook his head in amusement, giving Albus a gentle smile. “I uh… I heard around the school that you and Karl Jenkins had a date today.”

Albus felt his face go pale. But his cheeks flushed a rather radiant pink. “I wouldn’t call it a date. It was more of a uh… a meeting of acquaintances. And it was nice. We talked things through, and we’re both on the same page now. With everything. No bad blood between houses, or… acquaintances.”

Draco just looked Albus up and down. “Well, I’m sure your new… what did you call it? Acquaintanceship? Scorpius, was that the phrase that was used?”

Scorpius sighed. “Dad!” he whined.

‘I’m taking that as a yes. Point being, I’m sure your new relationship will take you to great places as you move from Slytherin to Hufflepuff. Now, you only have Ravenclaw and you’ve been in all four houses. That’s a record for the history books, I would say.”

Albus stared back at Draco rather blankly. “Uh, I don’t quite understand what it is that you’re implying.”

Scorpius bit his lip. “Albus, I know you love Slytherin but uh… your current wardrobe says otherwise. So either you’ve taken a time turner again and changed the past, causing you to be in Hufflepuff, or you’re uh… you’re in with Karl?”

“You two did look rather awkward. But if you’re happy I totally support it. Just don’t tell Scorpius. I’m sure he’s going to feel awfully betrayed when he finds out that his life partner has cheated,” Draco stated, chuckling as he looked back at Albus.

The smile from Albus’ face was gone. Scorpius noticed that he had shrunk back in his chair, and his face had gone pale again. He was silent, and rather anxiously pulling the sleeves of the jumper over his hands. “I uh… I don’t know what… why… were you both… did you watch the…”

Scorpius’ eyes widened. “No! No. We walked in only ten minutes ago! We didn’t see anything. But… we did notice you were here. And we thought it would be a good time to catch up! Since you’ve been so distant lately with everything, not that that’s an issue, you know it’s not an issue. It’s completely fine to be distant and to grieve but we missed you Albus! And it’s the perfect day to have a tasty Butterbeer as family, right? Just like we do in the summer when you come over to the Manor!”

Draco had shrunk back a little as well. “You know I’m just teasing, right Albus? We both really love your company, I think you’re an incredible young man. But finding new relationships is a big moment for anyone! And I wouldn’t want you to go through it alone. Sometimes, young men have questions about new relationships! I know you don’t exactly feel comfortable going to your Dad about these things so I want you to know I’m here if you need me.”

Albus took a deep breath and sat up a little more straight. “I really appreciate both of you being here, I really do. But I’m not going into a new relationship? It’s… definitely more of a blossoming friendship, if anything at all. I don’t think I’m ready to see someone in a romantic way, for a while now. Not after…”

“That wasn’t your fault. You know that,” Scorpius almost whispered.

“But people get hurt when I fall for someone,” Albus said, almost like a realisation. “You got hurt. Craig… Craig died because I was selfish and let someone drag me blindly through a minefield. But I’m not that naive anymore! I… the point is, I’m going to take my time before I rush into something completely new. But I appreciate knowing that you’re both here for me, if i need you.”

Scorpius gave Albus a weak smile. “Well, I have to get back to quidditch practice. And as much as we love spending time with you Dad, Albus should probably head back too.”

Draco frowned and shrunk back a little, but it didn’t take long for him to slip back into his confident front. “That’s alright! I have some business to get back to anyway. Lots of work to be done. The life of a… business owner. So I should be leaving also. But thank you for the company! I’ll be writing owls to both of you shortly.” He was quick to pull both boys into a tight hug. “Don’t go changing the world on us again, okay? You’ll make history when you’re ready.”

Albus just let out a happy sigh as he sunk into the hug. “We won’t, Draco. We’ll see you next time! Good luck on your uh… business.”

“Love you Dad. I’ll call you later! Don’t forget, the call button is the green one! Not the red one. And you don’t need to hold the phone to your ear on Facetime.”

Draco sighed as he let go of both of them. “Thanks again boys! I’ll see you soon.”


	6. A Crush on Albus Potter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title says it all

Scorpius just chewed on his lip rather anxiously as he and Albus began to make their way back to Hogwarts. “Albus, I am so sorry! I didn’t think he was… well, I guess my dad has become rather unpredictable. But he really cares about you! And he really just wants to make sure you’re okay. You just… you worry us. Both of us.”

Albus shook his head. “Draco was just… being Draco. I’m glad our time turner antics brought him back out of his shell. He’s a good dad and it’s what you deserve. Because Scorpius, as my best friend, you deserve good things.”

“As do you. But you know that if you’re angry about anything he said, absolutely anything, you can tell me right? I get angry at my Dad sometimes too. I hate admitting that, I really do love him! But he’s a tad much sometimes. Especially when he sends owls constantly! But I know that it all comes from a place of love, and from caring so deeply about both me and you Albus!”

Albus took a brief pause and focused on the sound of the leaves crunching underneath their feet. He ran his fingers over the scarf around his neck and took a deep breath. “Hey Scorp? How about we talk about what you’re so worried about? Because you always talk a million miles a minute when you get anxious.”

Scorpius let out a rather awkward chuckle. “Me? Anxious? No. Uh… I actually wanted to talk about how your outing with Karl went? Because we never spoke about what happened after you left yesterday. And I don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk to me about it, because you can? You know.” He sighed. “I just feel like things are changing. And I don’t want you to get stuck behind because you feel like you’re not worth it.”

“That’s uh… that’s sweet of you. I know I can talk to you, about anything! Really. I do. But this… this feels really, I guess when you said ties were changing you were right? I have these new… I wouldn’t call them urges, but feelings? Everything has happened so fast in the last few days. I never considered Karl as someone I would call a friend. In fact, just yesterday I couldn’t stand him. But lunch was really… nice.”

“Nice?”

“Nice. Like... I learnt new things about Karl? And it was refreshing, I guess. And even this jumper it feels… safe. Like a big hug from someone safe. Like from my mum. Or-”

“Or from a brand new love interest?”

Albus stopped and bit his lip, twisting the ends of the scarf around the tips of his fingers. “Maybe. Maybe it’s just the start of a new friendship? I’m not really sure. But for the first time in a while, I feel like I’ve met someone other than you that listens and understands me? Which must be a miracle from somewhere because you of all people know I’m in my head too much. And I’m sorry. I’ll get better at that.”  
Scorpius stopped beside his friend. “You need to know there’s no danger in meeting someone new. This could be a great step towards being better! Feeling better, sorry. You are better. And things are going to start looking better from here. But for now, it’s okay to feel uncertain. Because to be honest, none of us can predict what’s to come. But the best we can do is take one step towards the sun, and hope for the best.”

“Considering my best friend pretty much defeated the Dark Lord on his own, one step towards the sun doesn’t sound too hard,” Albus said, smiling as he just turned to Scorpius and looked him up and down.

He raised his eyebrow. “Do I have something on my face? Albus Potter, if you made me sit through lunch with my father and neither of you told me that I had something on my face, I am going to… be very mad.”

“No! No. You’re good. I just, I’m very grateful to have you as my friend,” He said quietly, just closing the gap between them and hugging Scorpius tightly. “I’m so grateful.”

Meanwhile, Karl had finished his trek back to Hogwarts and was walking into the library. He glanced around and smiled as he spotted Polly and Yann in one of their usual spots, just sliding into the chair across from them. “Since you’re both here, I wanted to ask for some help on a potions assignment. I brought it with me! And of course I’m uh… I know what I’m doing. But there’s this one… I keep messing up this one word and I’m frustrated.”

Yann smiled. “Can I see the paper? Let’s work through this together.”

Polly glanced over Yann’s shoulder. “So Karl, how was Hogsmeade? We heard from James that you and Albus spent the afternoon together. I’m sure that was eventful.”

“And by eventful, she means good. Fun. You know. A good time,” Yann corrected quickly.

“Yann!” Polly whined. “Anyway, word on the street is Albus found a time turner again and this time he got sorted into Hufflepuff! Which is… funny. Because it seems in going back in time, you also became a Slytherin.”

Karl raised his eyebrow. “Slytherin? Polly, I don’t think Albus would go anywhere near a time turner again. Not after… anyway, I’m not in Slytherin. I’m a proud Puff! Always have been and always….” He trailed off as he went to lift his scarf to prove his point, his cheek turning bright red. 

Green. The scarf was green.

Yann looked up from the paper and smiled. “Slytherin is a good look for you, Karl. Something different. I hope you don’t abandon your Puff qualities because they make you pretty great.”

Karl’s cheeks turned bright red. “I think green is just a colour that suits everyone. It’s not a… it’s not specific, you know?” He said quietly, just fiddling with the sleeves of his jumper.  
“So where did the scarf come from? If Albus Potter didn’t turn time, then one would have to assume that…”

“Polly, we can’t accuse Karl of having Albus’ scarf. That’s a big claim to make.”

Karl’s cheeks just blushed more. “Funny thing is… this is… this is Albus’ scarf.” He let out a nervous chuckle. “But I just grabbed it by accident. It’s nothing more than that.”

Polly and Yann shared a look before Polly just smirked. “Karl Jenkins has a crush on Albus Potter!”


	7. I Like You

Karl stared at his phone in confusion.

He had some good days, and some bad days as well. Sometimes he particularly struggled to read the words on his screen, but today felt a lot harder. He wasn’t sure if the message he was reading was correct, or if his brain had muddled things around.

“Polly?” He said quietly, placing his phone down on the table and beginning to fiddle with the sleeves of his jumper.

Polly and Yann simultaneously looked up. Polly made eye contact before glancing at Karl’s phone and biting her lip. “You need help?” She asked quietly. Karl just nodded in response, keeping his eyes down.

“I feel like… I read it. But the letters are still… swirly.”

“Swirly? We can help with that,” Yann stated, taking the phone from Karl and looking over the message. “Ah, okay. It says meet me at the Astronomy Tower at three pm. I’ve got your scarf.”

“So you’re finally rejoining the Puffs? Pity. It was funny watching everyone give you weird glances as you walked to class. You know, the rumour around the school is that everyone thinks you and Albus Potter are dating. With the whole jumper scarf thing. Even Scorpius Malfoy was talking to Rose Granger Weasley about it, and you know how he hates gossip,” Polly blurted out, looking to Yann with a smile.  
“The whole school?” Karl asked, shrinking back a little in his seat. He wrapped the green scarf that hadn’t left his neck a lot tighter, just sighing. “I don’t want to cause a fuss. And I don’t want everyone looking.”

“I’m sure not everyone is looking!” Yann stated cheerily as they finished their breakfast, just glancing around the Great Hall. Sure enough, there were a few whispers floating around from table to table. Everyone was asking questions about Karl and Albus. There was a lot left unsaid, from both of them, and the students of Hogwarts wanted to know what exactly was happening.

“Well, don’t be so modest. A lot of people have been loo-” Polly stopped herself as she noticed the look Yann was giving her. “Not that that’s a big deal. You’re going to be fine Karl. Once you two swap back your scarves, everything can go back to the way it was. I hope you’re planning on getting your jumper back as well.”

Yann took a moment to stare at the entrance of the Great Hall, raising their eyebrow as Scorpius walked in on his own. “In the entire time we’ve been at Hogwarts, have you ever seen Malfoy without Potter?”

Polly thought for a moment. “Besides that one time where they were forced apart, it’s rare. Incredibly rare. Why do you ask?” She asked, following Yann’s eyes and raising her eyebrow. “That is a shock.”

Karl lifted his head from the table, the spot he had been momentarily resting it. “What are you two on about?” He mumbled, just wiping his nose with his sleeve as he too noticed Scorpius on his own. “I… I think I left something in my dorm. I’ll be back.” He was quick to snatch his phone from the table as he almost sprinted out of the Great Hall, biting his lip as he found the first empty classroom he could.

“Okay, he sent you a text, an incredibly cryptic text, after not seeing you all week. Not a great start to the day. Everyone is looking… I have to give this stupid scarf back and on top of all of this, he’s missing. He didn’t turn up for breakfast. It’s all incredibly confusing,” Karl mumbled to himself as he anxiously dialled Albus’ number.

Albus, however, was sitting rather peacefully back in the Slytherin dorms. He sniffled a little as he pulled the covers back up closer to his neck. That morning, as he had tried to find the words to explain his plan to Scorpius, his friend had shut him up and tucked him back into bed.

“I don’t want you starting the day flustered. I’ll get us breakfast, and you can think this thing through while I'm gone. When I come back, we can talk it through,” Scorpius had stated as he had picked up his bag and headed out the door. “And whatever you do, don’t overthink this.”

But if there was one thing that Albus was good at, it was overthinking.

He found he got trapped in his thoughts a lot of the time. He didn’t mean to end up in there, but every single bad possibility for a situation just ended up floating around in his head. So sending that text this morning had sent his mind spiralling.

He had just been trying to relax as he fell into a Youtube black hole, but his video was interrupted as his phone began to ring. He felt the butterflies in his stomach rise to his chest as he noticed the contact. Karl Jenkins was calling him. 

If Karl was a “respond to messages with a call” kind of guy, Albus wasn’t too sure he was making the right choice with this meeting. 

Well, it could be nothing. And Albus had honestly missed the sound of Karl’s voice. His cheeks began to flush again as he pressed the green accept button. But of course, Albus’ phone has a lot of touch screen issues. There wasn’t a spot on his screen that wasn’t covered in cracks.

The call declined.

Albus felt his stomach drop and quickly threw his phone to the ground, the guilt filling up his stomach.

What if Karl thought he hated him now? What if he smashed his phone further by throwing it to the ground? What if… there were just so many possibilities. And every single one of them filled him to the brim with anxiety.

It wasn’t until Scorpius returned that he even knew he was crying.

“Hey! I brought you some… Albus?”

Albus looked up at his blonde haired friend, who had a look of concern on his face. “Hey! Hi. You were fast. Very fast. Quidditch has really… made you into an athletic…”

Scorpius just put the food down and pulled a chair up to Albus’ bed. “You remember when I said you can tell me anything? Well, this seems to be a something. And a something is an anything. So let’s talk.”

“Scorpius, I’m fine. I’m just…”

“You’re crying, Albus.”

Albus bit his lip and let his hand touch his cheek. It was damp. He wasn’t even aware. “So I am.”

“What are you so upset about? You said you were feeling okay at the moment.”

“I am! Or I was, I think. I don’t really know anymore,” He said quietly. “Sometimes my brain feels like a pool of sadness. And I’m always standing on the edge. I know… I know if I step in, that I won’t be able to keep my head above the water. But I know if I stay on the edge, I’ll never face everything that I’m holding in. And I won’t be able to get to the bottom to let all of the water out.”

Scorpius frowned and just gently slid his hand on top of Albus’. “Well, it’s a process. And it takes time. To train. To clear your mind, to… let the plug out? And I believe that with time, and it will take time, you will be able to dive straight into that pool and rid yourself of all of the bad things that you’re feeling. But for now, you’ve got me. And I will be standing on the edge with a pool noodle ready to pull you back out. I’m here for you, Albus.”

The corners of Albus’ mouth pulled up. “A pool noodle?”

“It was the first thing that came to my head! I’m trying to stick with your metaphor, you… rapscallion.”

“And you can’t even insult me! I don’t know if I should be thankful or disappointed.”

“I would be thankful, if I were you,” Scorpius huffed. “But, you know I am here for you, right? And I believe in you. I believe you are capable of incredible things, Albus Severus Potter. You may not know it, but you are my light. You are here for me when I need you to be. And I will always be here for you.”

Albus just pulled Scorpius straight onto the bed, which wasn’t hard, mind you. Both boys were just as lanky as each other. He wrapped his arms around Scorpius tightly, resting his chin on the top of Scorp’s head. “Thank you.” he whispered, just letting out a couple of sniffles.

Scorpius kind of tensed at the reaction, but softened into Albus’ hug and hugged his friend just as tightly. “Now, you need to eat breakfast. And after breakfast, you’re going to come to class with me and we’re going to be productive and get lots of studying done. And after that, at three, you go to the Astronomy Tower and you tell Karl exactly why you like him so much.”

Albus gulped. “But Scorpius, what if he doesn’t like me back?”

“If Karl didn’t like you back, he wouldn’t still be wearing your scarf. And he wouldn’t have invited you to Hogsmeade. The signs are there, Albus. You just need to open your eyes and look for them.” Scorpius slid out of the hug and ruffled Albus’ hair. “You’ve got this.”

“I’ve got this,” Albus confirmed quietly, beginning to eat the food Scorpius had slid in his lap. “And you’ll be here to pick me up when he says no?”

Scorpius just let out a quiet chuckle. “He’s not going to say no. But I will be here, yes.”

“Then everything will be okay,” Albus said quietly, just finishing his breakfast off.

As the day passed, he felt the butterflies in his stomach multiply by thousands. He wasn’t sure he was going to be able to do it. He was… scared. Having Scorpius by his side made him feel a little better, but he still couldn’t stop thinking about all the terrible possibilities.

Scorpius held Albus’ hand as they walked to the entrance of the Astrology Tower. Scorpius bit his lip, kind of tensing as they walked towards it. He had never been the biggest fan, for obvious reasons. Albus wasn’t sure Scorpius had ever been up there.

“Well, I’ll leave you here,” Scorpius said quietly, taking a step away from Albus. “But you’ll be okay! I'll be in the library if you need me.”

“I know you didn’t feel… amazingly comfortable with coming here. But I’m really thankful you walked me here,” Albus said quietly, hugging Scorpius tightly.

“I uh… It’s okay! Anything for you, Albus,” Scorpius said, just smiling as he spun around and made his way back to the library.

Albus took a deep breath as he made his way up the staircase, his eyes widening when Karl was already sitting there rather happily. “You’re early,” He said, biting his lip and trying not to panic.

Karl checked his phone before looking up. “It’s two fifty seven Albus. It’s not… that early,” He said, standing up and looking him up and down. “You didn’t answer my call. Did I do something wrong?”

“The call… oh the call! No! No you didn’t do anything at all. You’re perfect! I uh… oh my god,” He said, blushing and looking down at the ground. “I wanted to talk to you in person. That’s uh… that’s all.”

Karl tilted his head to the side. Albus had his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. He was bouncing his leg anxiously and he seemed a mess. Had he stained the scarf? Surely he wasn’t that anxious over a silly scarf. “Well, we’re talking now. Here’s your scarf!” Karl chirped, just removing the Slytherin scarf from around his neck and holding it out for Albus to take.

Albus stared at the outstretched hand and bit his lip. “Karl, I like you,” He said quickly.

Karl raised his eyebrow. “Well, I would hope you like me Albus.”

“No. Karl, I-” Albus just balanced on the tips of his toes, not even sure how to get the words out his mouth. “What I’m trying to say is, I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you! And I like your jumper quite a lot. It’s a nice jumper. Very cosy. Very warm. Feels like a hug from you. And I think your jugs are ni- I mean I think your hugs are nice! I’ve only had one, but it was so nice. Scorpius gives nice hugs too, but yours are a lot better. And you know? You can keep that scarf if you really want. Yours is a lot better. Nicer. Warmer. I-”

Karl watched as Albus continued to ramble, taking the time to put the pieces together. He took a small step forward and just leaned up to Albus, stopping his rambling with a small kiss. Karl had never kissed anyone before. But this felt… right.

Albus’ face went even paler at that point. It took a second, but he melted into the kiss. 

As they both stepped back, Karl just bit his lip. “I uh… you talk a lot. And I didn’t know… I’m sorry. I’ll go,” He said quietly, just going to walk back past Albus down the stairs.

But Albus stopped him immediately. “Karl, I really really like you. I couldn’t- I didn’t know how to tell you. But I hope… maybe you like me too?”

Karl just took a moment. “I do like you, Albus. A lot. So what does this mean?”

“I’d like it if you came with me to Hogsmeade again. A real date. And maybe if it goes well, I could ask you if you would be my boyfriend.”

“You can ask me now, if you’d like. But I would love to go to Hogsmeade with you.”

“And you’d like to be my boyfriend?”

“No.”

Albus’ eyes widened. His hands went straight to the scarf as he began to fiddle with the tassels. “Oh! Oh. I totally… get it. Yeah. I didn’t expect you to…”

“Albus, I was kidding. I would love to be your boyfriend.”

The Slytherin’s mouth just formed an o shape as he looked at Karl with a big grin. He took a second before he just slid his hand into Karl’s. “You know, this just feels… right.”

“I was thinking the exact same thing.”


End file.
